No fewer than six actors have lent their features to Batman on film: Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson. Not forgetting Adam West, the interpreter of the Dark Knight in the extremely kitschy Batman series of the 60s.
But for many fans, the best adaptation of the DC Comics superhero’s adventures is the 1992 animated series. This TV version was conceived as a continuation of Tim Burton’s films, whose aesthetic Gothic mixed with film noir codes was preserved.
Throwing us straight into Batman’s adventures without the need for any introduction, the series is not a direct sequel to Burton’s two feature films. It’s also not Michael Keaton who voices the character, but the late Kevin Conroy (and the no less iconic Richard Darbois in the French version).
The main theme of the series is Danny Elfman (already working on two Tim Burton films). However, the original soundtrack was composed by Shirley Walker and performed by an orchestra for the needs of each episode (which was still very rare in the world of animation at the time).
A reinterpretation of the Batman comics
Despite being the title character, Batman does not appear as the main character in every episode of the series. Indeed, the program presents itself as a portrait of life in Gotham City, giving equal importance to the development of its main characters and its villains.
It is also worth noting: female characters are in the foreground. For example, the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle and their alter egos, Batman and Cat, has never been more developed than in this series.
The series isn’t shy about distancing itself from the comics to give you its own version of the Batman universe. This liberties are especially true for the appearance of villains such as Two-Face (whose appearance will be used in Batman Forever), Penguin (less monstrous than the Danny DeVito version) or even Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze.
Batman’s most iconic enemy is, of course, the Joker. In the original version, Mark Hamill gives an absolutely brilliant performance, which helped him get a famous role from the role of Luke Skywalker, with which he is generally associated.
The animated Batman series also introduced new characters. And first, Harley Quinn, the inseparable friend of the Joker, who has never been in the comics.
Red Claw, Renee Montoya, and Baby Doll are some of the memorable characters also created for this production. Their presence in the series emphasizes the desire to bring out more female characters than in the comics.
A real DC connected universe
More than thirty years after its first run, Batman remains a high-quality series whose visuals take very little time to get old. This timeless aspect of the series sets it apart from other live-action shows, some of which have special effects that sometimes make it painful to watch (hello Batman and Robin!).
Awarded several Emmy Awards, but also an Annie Award for Best Series (the highest award that can be given to an animated work), Batman also launched the connected universe of the so-called. DC animated universe.
In addition to two feature films (Batman: The Masked Phantom and Batman and Mr. Freeze: Subzero), spin-off series Superman, The Angel of Metropolis and Justice League continued the Dark Knight universe and saw two official sequels: The Adventures of Batman and Robin (review 2 seasons) and Batman: La Relève.
The first season of the Batman animated series (consisting of 65 episodes) is now available on Netflix.
Discover the list of series currently available on the platform!
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
